Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic Bugs Bunny film, Baseball Bugs (1946). This short film is a pure classic. Though there have been many funny baseball cartoons, this may be the best. The cartoon is simply one great gag after another. This includes a screaming liner pun that was used before in Porky's Baseball Broadcast (1940). The slow ball gag would later be used in the Bobo the Elephant short, Gone Batty (1954). The batboy gag would later be reused in the Cool Cat cartoon, Bugged by a Bee (1969). This is one of only two Looney Tunes that ends with Bugs popping out of the drum at the end instead of Porky. The other was Hare Tonic (1945). In both these films he states, "And that's the end!" instead of "That's all Folks!" This short was appropriately included in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes.
Next comes another masterpiece of a cartoon, Minnie the Moocher (1932) starring the one and only Betty Boop. This cartoon is a pure example of what the Fleischer studio did better than anyone else. The film is full of incredibly creative, surreal and just plain weird gags that are executed to complete perfection. This cartoon is the first of three Bettys to feature jazz singer Cab Calloway (the other two being Snow White (1933) and the Old Man of the Mountain (1933)). In all three of these cartoons, the singer was not only used to sing his song, but his iconic dancing was captured by the dancer via rotoscope. A review in the Film Daily stated "This swell Max Fleischer musical cartoon is the best turned out so far with the cute pen and ink star, Betty Boop, who seems to get more sexy and alluring each time and her boyfriend Bimbo. The musical selection is supplied by Cab Calloway and his orchestra and what these boys can't do to the Minnie the Moocher number is not worth mentioning."
Next comes Mighty Mouse in The Helpless Hippo (1954). This cartoon was directed by Connie Rasinski.
Now for a Walter Lantz Oswald short, A Jungle Jumble (1932). The animators on this film include future legendary cartoon director, Tex Avery (credited as Fred Avery) and Les Kline, who would animate on Walter Lantz cartoons all the way into the 1970's.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for a silent short directed by Walter Lantz before he would become well known as the creator of Woody Woodpecker. His co-director on this film is Clyde Geronimi, who would later direct many films for Disney including being a co-director on the feature films, Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1960). So, enjoy The Leopard's Spots (1925).
Now for Donald Duck in How to Have an Accident at Home (1956). This was the first of four planned safety films by the Disney studio. These films would teach about how to prevent accidents in various environments by showing you the wrong way to do things. Donald Duck himself was given the "privilege" of showing us the wrong way in these films. Each cartoon would feature Donald going through various slapstick mishaps and the audience would learn from his mistakes. Story man Roy Williams (who old TV fans might know for being the Big Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club) began working on ideas for these films in 1953. This cartoon would begin production in 1954 but wouldn't see movie screens until 1956. Much of the animation in this short was done by former effects artist Jerry Hathcock. He animated the opening scene, Donald in traffic (with Earl Combs), Donald reading, Donald trying to nail the picture to the wall, Donald lighting his pipe, Donald falling with the fishbowl, Donald in the bathroom, Donald's accident with cleaning fluid and the closing scene. Earl Combs animates Donald in traffic (with Jerry Hathcock), Donald's landing after falling with the fishbowl and Donald having trouble with the chair's springs. George Nicholas animates Donald avoiding the piano and the kid on the bike, Donald falling down the stairs in slow motion and Donald with the TV set. Volus Jones animates fate lecturing while Donald has trouble with the toaster. Bob Bemiller and Ed Solomon animate Donald fixing the stairs, plugs, and throw rug. Ed Solomon also animates Donald entering the dynamite plant. There would only be one more of these safety films to follow, How to Have an Accident at Work (1959), the other two would never be completed.
Now we join Donkey Kong in Mississippi Madness (1983). This cartoon comes from a TV Show called Saturday Supercade. Each episode of this show was made up of multiple cartoons based on popular video game characters. Other video game characters featured in this show included Frogger, Donkey Kong Jr., Q*bert, Space Ace, Kangaroo and Pitfall Harry. In this cartoon, Donkey Kong is voiced by Soupy Sales, a comedian best known for his TV work in the 1950's and 60's. Mario is voiced by Peter Cullen, best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers.
Now to end today's cartoon selection with a very educational film.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck.
https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/donald-the-educator/
https://lantern.mediahist.org/
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